The Prism of Fer

Travel Blog

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Chongqing isn’t a city, it’s a glitch in the matrix

You think you’re on the ground floor, but congratulations, you’re actually on the 15th floor of a building overlooking a massive highway. Welcome to Chongqing, the world's ultimate 3D cyberpunk metropolis.

This place defies all laws of physics and urban planning. Monorails literally slice straight through residential apartment buildings, roads stack on top of roads like a real-life Inception movie, and your GPS will completely give up on you within five minutes. It is chaotic, futuristic, dazzling, and utterly exhausting in the best way possible.

Walking around here feels like exploring a vertical maze where the neon lights never fade and every corner hides a massive drop or a hidden alleyway. If you want to feel like a tiny character inside a sci-fi video game, this is it.

Want to know how to navigate this wild 3D labyrinth without getting completely lost? I’ve broken down the ultimate guide on what to see, what to eat, and how to survive the madness.

👉 Read the full Chongqing travel guide on my blog here!

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Samarkand, the heart of the Silk Road

I visited Samarkand a few years ago. I came with a lot of hype after reading a lot about the Silk Road.

For centuries, this city was one of the most important trading and cultural centers in Central Asia, connecting merchants, travelers and empires between China, Persia and Europe. Wealth, ideas, religions and goods all passed through here, which is why Samarkand became such an important and legendary city along the Silk Road.

Today, it is still one of the most impressive places in Uzbekistan. Walking around Registan Square, the mosques, madrassas and giant turquoise domes makes it easy to imagine the scale and importance this city once had. Even though modern life continues around it, there’s still something very historic and monumental about Samarkand.

I wrote a full post on my blog about my visit to Samarkand, what to see and what it was like traveling there.

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Pamir Highway

There are roads that feel like a journey, and then there’s the Pamir Highway.

Crossing the Pamirs by hitchhiking was one of the wildest experiences of my trip through Central Asia. Endless mountains, tiny villages in the middle of nowhere, freezing nights, random shared rides with locals, and landscapes that didn’t feel real.

Everything worked perfectly. Just some days I spent a few hours waiting on an empty road, not knowing when the next car would appear. But that uncertainty became part of the adventure.

The Pamir Highway is not just about the scenery, it’s about the feeling of being far away from everything familiar.

I wrote the full story about my experience in the Pamir Highway on my blog, including transportation details, costs, border crossings, places to stop, and what it was really like traveling across the Pamirs independently.

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Hiking in Nepal, Annapurna Circuit

If there’s one trek in Nepal that really sticks with you, it’s the Annapurna Circuit. Days of walking through constantly changing landscapes, lush valleys, remote villages, high mountain passes, until you find yourself crossing Thorong La Pass at over 5,400 meters.

What makes it special isn’t only the scale of the mountains, but the rhythm you fall into. Wake up early, walk for hours, stop for tea, meet people from everywhere, and repeat.

It’s challenging at times, especially with the altitude, but very doable if you take it slow and give your body time to adjust. And the feeling when you finally reach the pass… worth every step.

If you’re thinking about doing it, I put together a full guide about how to do the Annapurna Circuit with everything you need to know, routes, tips, logistics.

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Sigiriya vs Pidurangala: The View I Chose

Sigiriya is one of the most iconic landmarks in Sri Lanka, a massive rock rising dramatically from the jungle, crowned with the ruins of an ancient fortress. It’s famous for its history, frescoes, and the impressive stairway that winds its way up to the top.

But I didn’t climb Sigiriya.

Instead, I went for Pidurangala Rock, and honestly, I don’t regret it.

While Sigiriya is all about the experience of the site itself, Pidurangala offers something different: a more raw, adventurous climb and one of the best views in the country. From the top, you get a direct, unobstructed view of Sigiriya rising out of the jungle, especially stunning at sunrise.

It’s also much cheaper, less crowded, and feels a bit more like a proper hike rather than a structured tourist attraction.

If you’re short on time or just prefer views over ruins, Pidurangala might just be the better choice.

If you want to know more, I wrote a post that tells how to see Sigiriya from Pidurangala viewpoint.

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Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka

There’s something about Polonnaruwa that feels quieter than the rest of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. Maybe it’s the way ruins are scattered across a landscape that still breathes.

Unlike other historical sites that hit you all at once, Polonnaruwa unfolds slowly. You move from one set of ruins to another: royal palaces now open to the sky, dagobas rising above the trees, stone walls that once held a powerful kingdom together.

What struck me most was how integrated everything is with nature. Lizards sunbathe on thousand-year-old stones. Monkeys jump between temple walls. The past doesn’t feel frozen, it feels absorbed into the present.

And then there’s Gal Vihara. The massive Buddha statues carved directly into granite are on another level. The reclining Buddha, especially, has an expression that feels incredibly human.

Polonnaruwa isn’t dramatic. It’s not overwhelming. It’s spacious, contemplative, and quietly powerful. You need time, water, and ideally a bicycle to move between the sites. But if you give it the space it deserves, it stays with you.

If you want to read the full breakdown of my visit — what to see, how to plan it, and whether it’s worth it — you can find it here, in this guide that talks about how to visit Polonnaruwa

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Anuradhapura: Walking Through Sri Lanka’s Ancient Heart

Visiting Anuradhapura was a bit different from what most travelers do — and very intentional. I didn’t enter the main archaeological complex, mainly because later on the trip I was heading to Polonnaruwa, and I didn’t want to overload myself with ancient capitals back to back.

Renting a bicycle and riding around the outskirts of the site is already an experience in itself. Even without paying the entrance fee, you can visit several impressive stupas and reach the Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred tree believed to be the oldest living tree in the world with a recorded history. Just cycling through those open areas, stopping whenever something catches your eye, gives you a sense of how vast and important this city once was.

What I liked most was the atmosphere. Pilgrims dressed in white, monks moving quietly between temples, locals sitting in the shade — it all feels very alive and very real. There’s no rush here. Even without entering the ticketed zone, you still feel connected to the spiritual and historical weight of the place.

Anuradhapura is massive, calm, and a bit overwhelming in scale. For me, it worked perfectly as a gentle introduction before diving deeper into Sri Lanka’s ancient history later on in Polonnaruwa.

Here you can read more information about how to visit Anuradhapura by your own.

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Starting the Silk Road in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I didn’t imagine that my journey along the Silk Road would begin in Sri Lanka. When people think of this ancient network of routes, they usually picture deserts, caravans, and cities deep in Central Asia. Colombo feels far from that image.

After spending New Year’s in Dubai, a city polished to the point of feeling almost artificial, landing in Colombo was a shock. The contrast couldn’t have been stronger. From the moment I arrived, the streets were alive: people everywhere, traffic flowing without much logic, constant noise, heat, smells, and a certain layer of chaos that felt overwhelming at first.

Colombo isn’t an easy city to like. It’s messy, loud, and often exhausting. But unlike other places I had visited recently, it felt real. Life happens openly on the streets. Vendors, buses, construction sites, temples, offices, and markets all coexist in a dense and sometimes uncomfortable mix. It’s not pretty, but it has soul.

Walking through the city, I had the feeling of being dropped into something raw and unfinished. Sidewalks disappear, buildings change style from one block to the next, and there’s little effort to impress the visitor. And yet, that lack of polish made Colombo feel more honest than many places built almost entirely for tourism.

Starting the Silk Road journey here made sense in an unexpected way. Sri Lanka was historically connected to ancient trade routes through the Indian Ocean, linking South Asia with the Middle East and beyond. Colombo may not look like a classic Silk Road city, but it was very much part of that wider exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas.

I later wrote a more detailed guide about what to do in Colombo, including practical tips and my impressions of the city, which you can read.

From here, the route would continue deeper into Sri Lanka and, eventually, toward the heart of Asia. But Colombo was the moment when the journey truly began.

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Guide to traveling to Armenia

Armenia travel guide: what to see, how to get around, climate, history, and practical tips for exploring the country at any time of year.

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Seul Sky. Es el 5to edificio mas alto del mundo, con 555 metros de altura, zarpado 😲 #seul #seulsky #building #southkorea #korea #koreatravel #koreatrip #korea🇰🇷 #korean #modern #corea #coreadelsur #sky #epic #asia #travelgram #traveller #travelphotography #visitseul #visitkorea #explorekorea #discoverkorea #exploreseul #architecture (en Lotte World Tower, Seoul Sky - 서울스카이) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QolBVFSx8/?igshid=r1k6mx951o6q

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Terrible estructura de diseño futurista en Seul, Corea del Sur. #seul #korea #koreatravel #koreatrip #korea🇰🇷 #visitkorea #discoverkorea #explorekorea #instakorea #ig_korea #future #design #mykorea #thisiskorea (en Seoul, Korea) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OVXhwFeUE/?igshid=1u9uo25ahqcun

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Playa de Haeundae en Busan #busan #haeundae #beach #asia #korea #koreatravel #koreatrip #korea🇰🇷 #southkorea #playa #thisiskorea #mykorea #travelphotography #thisisbusan #igkorea #instakorea #instagram (en Busan, South Korea) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0JI-efBVr6/?igshid=166t6fna5xgx3

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Busan, Corea del Sur. #koreatravel #korea #koreatrip #busan #korea🇰🇷 #visitkorea #southkorea #asia #explorekorea #thisiskorea #mykorea #travelphotography #vacations #koreanpeople (en Busan 釜山, South Korea) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0GrQmgh9wf/?igshid=1tidfg2p8uh6n

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Templo Haedong Yonggungsa en Busan, Corea del Sur #temple #busan #southkorea #asia #haedong #korea #visitkorea #visitbusan #explorekorea #instakorea #korea🇰🇷 #koreatravel #koreatrip #vacationkorea #thisiskorea #mykorea #travelphotography (en Haedong Yonggungsa Temple 해동 용궁사) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Dy4H9lpqt/?igshid=2qae01sqw8w2

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Torre de Fukuoka #japandaily #japan_of_insta #japan_inside #japantravel #japan_majestic #japan_vacations #japan #visitjapanjp #visitjapan #thisisjapan #myjapan #explorejapan #discoverjapan #fukuoka #asia #japon #travelphotography #buildings #modern (en Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0BWZGdF2b2/?igshid=12arh0jw3sn5s

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Tori flotante en la Isla de Miyajima, acompañado de un venado que parece una estatua 😅 #japandaily #japan_of_insta #japan_inside #japantravel #japan_majestic #japan_vacations #japan #japanlife #japanculture #japannation #jpdaily #thisisjapan #myjapan #asia #tori #miyajima #hiroshima #japon #deer #travelphotography (en Miyajima Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-54JblNCH/?igshid=ujvo5czbj6yf

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Puerto de Kobe #japannight #japandaily #japan_of_insta #japan_inside #japantravel #japan_majestic #japan_vacations #japan #jpdaily #visitjapanjp #explorejapan #discoverjapan #kobe #japanculture #tower #port #asia #travelphotography #thisisjapan #myjapan (en Kobe Port Tower) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz64HU0FPrb/?igshid=b12dhvaf3k22